Hephaistos (whom the Romans knew as Vulcan) was the Greek god of the smith and was often depicted working at his fiery forge. He was married to the unfaithful Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who consorted with Ares. Hephaistos, resolved to catch the guilty lovers, forged a fine net that would capture them in bed. His plan succeeded, but the other Olympian gods, rather than taking his side, merely laughed at him.

Leonard Baskin presents Hephaistos not as the swarthy, muscular blacksmith more common in visual arts, but as a forlorn figure holding flowers, perhaps in an attempt to win back the love of fickle Aphrodite.

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